STERLING — — Friends and family of local older and ill residents living in care- facilities can be assured that they are being well taken care of during the flooding situation being experienced in Sterling, according to area facility administrators.

Sterling Living Center (SLC) Administrator Cynthia Young said their facility chose to move residents that were unable to be cared for by local family to another facility in Fort Collins. The Assisted Living facility had openings available and SLC moved 34 residents to Fort Collins assisted by the donation of school buses and an ambulance from Sunset Manor in a smooth and uneventful trip before the flood got to the Sterling area.

"The residents are being treated like kings and queens, Young said. "And they are enjoying meeting new people and joining the activities."

Families are being contacted daily with updates on their loved ones well-being, according to Young. SLC staff members accompanied the residents and are staying to care for them as well.

Devonshire Acres in Sterling chose a "shelter in place" approach to the current situation and also had a number of their residents taken home with family for part of the time. A total of 108 people are involved, according to Administrator Gloria Kaiser.

Meals are all being done with disposables and the staff has been great, Kaiser said. Although some have been affected and not able to get in, the others have stepped up to fill in.

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"We are providing porta potties and using bottled water and currently the water is turned off," Kaiser said. "Our major vendors are shipping plenty of supplies and we have plenty of food."

And the residents — "For them, life goes on, and we are ok!" Kaiser said.

The Bee Hive, located in south Sterling, was evacuated on Sunday night by a call from the emergency task force, according to administrator Dafeny Sampson. They were taken to the Emmanuel Baptist Church and returned to the facility at 9 a.m.

Some of the residents then went to the homes of family members and are now returning. The facility is following all emergency recommendations about the water, toilet facilities and food service, Sampson said.

"The residents are happy and that is what is important," she said.

Kaydeane Samber, spokeswoman for Sterling Regional MedCenter, said the hospital was "fully operational."